This invention relates to a method and apparatus for conveying linear or elongate articles such as dried noodles which are aligned or oriented in a given direction, and is adapted to distributively supply such articles from a single feeding apparatus to a plurality of locations while maintaining their orientation, and to deliver the articles from the locations to which they have been distributed, while still maintaining their orientation. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for conveying linear or elongate articles, and is especially well suited for application to a so-called combinatorial automatic weighing system which measures weights by weighing articles through use of a plurality of weighing machines, computing combinations on the basis of the weights measured by the respective machines, and selecting the combination whose weight sum is equal or closest to a predetermined target weight.
An automatic weighing system which is known in the art relies upon a combination computing function. The system performs a weighing operation by combining the individual weight values measured by a plurality of weighing machines, computing the total weight of the weight values in each and every combination, and selecting the combination whose total weight is equal or closest to a predetermined target weight. Unlike the older automatic weighing apparatus which weighs articles on a single weighing machine while controlling the supply of articles to that weighing machine, the combinatorial system features great accuracy and excellent operability and enables articles to be weighed out to a preset weight value in a short period of time.
The above-mentioned combinatorial automatic weighing system operates by measuring the weights of articles which have been fed to a plurality of weighing machines, forming all possible combinations of the actually measured weight values, with the number of weight values in each combination being either arbitrary or predetermined, adding the weight values in each combination, comparing each resulting sum with a predetermined target weight, and selecting the combination whose weight sum is equal or closest to the target weight. This particular combination of weights is referred to as the best combination.
The combinatorial automatic weighing system of the above type requires a conveyance apparatus in order to fully exploit its weighing function. Such an apparatus serves to distributively supply the plurality of weighing machines with the articles in good order and at an adequate speed, to deliver the articles from any of the weighing machines that have been selected as belonging to the best combination, and to provide a fresh supply of the articles to those weighing machines that have delivered their contents in the previous step.
The conventional conveyance apparatus of this type makes use of a dispersing bowl or of radially extending troughs. The latter is adopted in the combinatorial automatic weighing system shown schematically in FIG. 1. MS denotes a main feeder of a vibratory conveyance type, using the radially arrayed trough mentioned above. Articles to be weighed are introduced into the main feeder MS and imparted with vibratory motion so as to be dispersed radially outward from the center thereof. CN, CN . . . denote n-number of weighing sections which are arranged around the main feeder MS along radially extending lines to receive the articles dispersed by the main feeder. Each weighing section CN includes a dispersing feeder CN.sub.a, a holding vessel CN.sub.b, a weighing hopper CN.sub.d, a weight sensor CN.sub.e, and a weighing hopper gate CN.sub.f. The dispersing feeder CN.sub.a comprises an independently vibratable conveyance device for feeding the articles by means of vibration, or an independently operable shutter device for delivering the articles in batches. In either case, each dispersing feeder CN.sub.a is so arranged that the articles received from the centrally located main feeder MS can be introduced into the corresponding holding vessel CN.sub.b disposed therebelow. The holding vessel gate CN.sub.c is provided on each holding vessel CN.sub.b in such a manner that the articles received in the holding vessel are released into the weighing hopper CN.sub.d when the gate CN.sub.c is opened. Each weight sensor CN.sub.e is attached to the corresponding weighing hopper CN.sub.d and is operable to measure the weight of the articles introduced into the weighing hopper. The weight sensor CN.sub.e is adapted to supply a combination control unit (not shown) with an electric signal indicative of the measured weight. The combination control unit then selects the optimum combination of articles, i.e., the best combination, that gives a total weight closest to a target weight. Each of the weighing hopper gates CN.sub.f is provided on the corresponding weighing hopper CN.sub.d. Only those weighing hopper gates CN.sub.f provided on the weighing hoppers CN.sub.d that will give the best combination are opened. The articles from the weighing hoppers CN.sub.d selected in this manner fall through the open weighing hopper gates and are discharged into a common collecting chute GS where they are collected together. The collecting chute GS has the shape of a funnel and is so arranged as to receive the articles from any of the circularly arrayed weighing hoppers CN.sub.d via the hopper gates, which are located above the funnel substantially along its outer rim. The articles received by the collecting chute GS are collected at the centrally located lower end thereof by falling under their own weight or by being forcibly shifted along the inclined wall of the funnel by a mechanical scraper or the like, which is not shown. The collecting chute GS is provided with a timing hopper THP at the lower end thereof for temporarily holding the collected articles. The arrival of an externally applied signal for a packing device or the like causes the timing hopper THP to release the retained articles from the weighing apparatus.
In operation, the holding vessels CN.sub.b and weighing hoppers CN.sub.d initially contain a supply of the articles. The weight sensors CN.sub.e associated with the respective weighing hoppers CN.sub.d measure the weights of the articles in each hopper and produce weight values W.sub.1 through W.sub.10 which are sent to the combination control unit, not shown. The control unit performs an arithmetic combinatory control operation using the weight values W.sub.1 through W.sub.10 and selects the combination of articles that gives a total weight closest to the set target weight. A drive control unit (not shown) opens the weighing hopper gates CN.sub.f that are selected on the basis of the best combination, whereby the selected weighing hoppers deliver their articles to the collecting chute GS. Now the holding vessel gates CN.sub.c of those holding vessels CN.sub.b corresponding to the empty weighing hoppers CN.sub.d are opened to introduce a fresh supply of the articles into said weighing hoppers, leaving said holding vessels empty. Next, the dispersing feeders CN.sub.a which correspond to the empty holding vessels CN.sub.b are vibrated for a predetermined period of time to deliver a fresh supply of the articles to said holding vessels. This restores the weighing apparatus to the initial state to permit resumption of the control operation for selecting the best weight combination in the manner described. Thus, weighing by the combinatorial scale may proceed in continuous fashion by repeating the foregoing steps.
The conventional conveyance apparatus used in the combinatorial weighing system described above distributes or disperses the articles radially outwardly from the sole main feeder consisting of the radially extending troughs. With such an arrangement, however, any orientation which the articles may possess is lost. This does not pose a problem in the conveyance of bulky products such as fruits, green peppers, potatoes and the like since these need not be oriented when conveyed. The problem arises in the conveyance of elongate or linear articles such as dried noodles which must all have a specific orientation in order to be packed correctly. Such articles lose their orientation when conveyed by the conventional apparatus and arrive at the packaging machine in a state of disarray.
An example of a linear article such as mentioned above is illustrated in FIG. 2A, which shows a single dried noodle DR. In the packaging process a multiplicity of the dried noodles DR are bundled together by paper bands PBT, as illustrated in FIG. 2B. It can be understood that such bunding involves major difficulties when the dried noodles are delivered to the packaging apparatus in a randomly oriented manner.